Memorial Day weekend will bring warm temps, traffic

New Jersey residents, bogged down with a troubling economy and uncertain job outlook, are looking forward to marking the unofficial start of summer with barbecuing in the yard and relaxing on the beach.

Warm temperatures will be accompanied by a mix of clouds and sun throughout the weekend and Monday, with a slight chance of showers on Saturday and Sunday, according to the National Weather Service. Temperatures will hover around the upper 70s starting Saturday through Monday, but not before highs hit the upper 80s on Friday.

Noah Addis/The Star-LedgerPeople spend an afternoon on the beach in Belmar in 2008.

While the roads will probably be as congested as ever, with eager beach goers crowding the highways, motorists can take some relief in lower gas prices. Travelers will see prices averaging about $2.23 per gallon throughout the state, slightly lower than the national average of $2.36 and much lower than this time last year, when skyrocketing fuel prices pumped prices to about $3.69 per gallon in the state.

The New Jersey Department of Transportation expects nearly 7.4 million vehicles will use the parkway and nearly 3.8 million vehicles will use the turnpike between Thursday and Tuesday. Friday will be the most heavily traveled day, with highest volume expected between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

According to the NJDOT, on the Turnpike, the heaviest traffic will be on Interchanges 1-4, 11, 14, 18W and just south of 8A at the merge. On the Parkway, the heaviest traffic will be from the Union Toll Plaza through the Toms River Toll Plaza.

The New Jersey Department of Transportation said they will suspend all construction on state highways from 6 a.m. on Friday until noon on Tuesday.

NJDOT will extend the hours of operation of the Statewide Emergency Service Patrols over the holiday weekend which helps stranded drivers with extra gas, tire changes and other services.

A $225 million reconstruction project on Garden State Parkway's Driscoll Bridge, which once was a major bottleneck to traffic headed to and from the Jersey shore, is finally finished, adding three lanes and shoulders to decrease congestion.